Olivia

Olivia is the female version of 'Oliver' and has been around since the 13th century. In the Old Norse, Olivia comes from the Nordic name ‘Aleifr’, so the meaning of Olivia is ‘the kind one’. It also has Latin roots, as the Latin word for olive is 'oliva'. In the Bible, a dove flew down to Noah after the great floods calmed down, and handed him an olive leaf, which was meant to symbolise the forthcoming peace. Thus, the olive tree was considered as a symbol of peace and harmony, the name Olivia translates to 'peace' and 'of the olive tree'. In ancient Greece, the olive was the symbol of Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom. In the earlier years of the Olympic Games, the winners of the games were awarded with olive wreaths. Another famous Olivia can be found in Shakespeare's comedic Twelfth Night, written in the 16th century. In 2018, Olivia was the second most popular name for girls in the United States.